UPDATE: Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes Move Through The Bistate

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ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOXNWS) –UPDATE 9:00 p .m.: The latest reports from the National Weather Service indicate severe storms continue to move through portions of Illinois with a history of producing hail and heavy winds. The tornado watch has been canceled for most of the immediate Metro area.

Just southwest of Bowling Green Missouri, two tornadoes touched down ripping a roof off one house. Bowling Green Sheriff Stephen Korte tells KMOX there were no injuries reported.

Around 6:00 p.m., a very large tornado crossed Interstate 55, four miles from Litchfield Illinois in Montgomery County.

There was also strong rotation just west of downtown St. Louis and in Hartford Illinois. Rotation was also seen over other parts of St. Louis county at times and in the Metro East.

As the storms moved through the metro at speeds of 65 miles an hour a lot hail was produced.

Golf ball sized hail was reported in O’fallon and Winfield Missouri and in Jerseyville Illinois. Hail just under an inch in diameter fell in Bridgeton, Maryland Heights, Hazelwood, Florissant, Bellefoutaine Neighbors, Alton, and Roxana.

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Severe Weather is expected to rapidly develop over Missouri and Illinois this afternoon and spread quickly east this evening.

The strongest storms will be capable of producing tornadoes, golf ball or larger size hail, and damaging straight line wind gusts in excess of 70 mph. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Jim Cramper says most of the extreme weather should be out of the coverage area by midnight at the latest.